Rail extension to Kansas included in Amtrak proposal

An extension of passenger rail service from Oklahoma City to Kansas is included in Amtrak’s Fiscal Year 2020 grant request report, which would link the state to a major rail route between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Oklahoma’s only passenger rail line, the Heartland Flyer, provides daily service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.

The proposed extension would travel north to Newton, Kansas, which is just north of Wichita.

“We have been working with Amtrak on this option for a while, so we are glad it is included,” said Brenda Perry, a spokeswoman with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The Heartland Flyer extension does not have a set price tag in Amtrak’s grant request report, but is listed as an achievable project if current funding levels remain.

However, it will still require an investment from Oklahoma, which pays $3.1 million annually for the current Heartland Flyer route to Texas.

Kansas would also have to contribute, Perry said.

“Funding is always something that has to be worked through because the extension would require more ODOT funding than what we currently pay for the train going from here to Fort Worth,” Perry said.

Amtrak officials did not respond to a request for comment.

The Heartland Flyer, which leaves Oklahoma City in the morning and returns in the evening, serves around 68,000 passengers each year.

Ben Felder

Ben Felder is an investigative reporter for The Oklahoman. A native of Kansas City, Ben has lived in Oklahoma City since 2010 and covered politics, education and local government for the Oklahoma Gazette before joining The Oklahoman in 2016....
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